Welcome to Wisdom Today with Bill Kelley. Today we will be looking at Proverb 2. I will then introduce you to my special guest for the day, Amber McMillan. Amber is a fellow second year student from Charis Bible College. Amber was raised with very strong Christian parents. Amber was called to come to Charis Bible College. She is now in second year and I can attest to the growth that she has made this year.
[00:00:06] Welcome to Wisdom Today. My name is Bill Kelley and I'll be your host. In this podcast we will be exploring the book of Proverbs.
[00:00:15] Father God, I thank you for anyone listening to this podcast today. Lord, I pray that you would reveal to each one listening how much you truly love each and every one of them.
[00:00:34] In addition, I pray that everyone listening would have favor with both God and man. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen. This is Proverbs 2, beginning in verse 1.
[00:00:47] My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands within you so that you incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding. Yes, if you cry out for discernment and lift up your voice.
[00:01:03] Lift up your voice for understanding. If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
[00:01:18] For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk uprightly. He guards the paths of justice and preserves the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.
[00:01:46] When wisdom enters your heart and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you. Understanding will keep you to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things.
[00:02:04] From those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perversity of the wicked, whose ways are crooked and who are devious in their paths.
[00:02:23] To deliver you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.
[00:02:37] For her house leads down to death and her paths to the dead, none who go to her return nor do they regain the paths of life.
[00:02:50] So you may walk in the way of goodness and keep to the paths of righteousness. For the upright will dwell in the land and the blameless will remain in it. But the wicked will be cut off from the earth and the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
[00:03:11] Friends, I have a special treat for you today. I have Amber, mitten with me and I've become real good friends this year with Amber and she was in my I. G group earlier this year but Amber, I'd like to thank you for coming on.
[00:03:24] I really appreciate you taking the time. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Good, you know, Amber we've been a careous Bible college for two years and I know we've grown a lot. We'll get into that a little bit later.
[00:03:37] But we just finished proper two and proper two is one of the foundational proverbs. Solomon is just beginning this book and he's giving us all kinds of advice. So which verse spoke to you today that you'd like to share?
[00:03:52] Yes, so I really like verse three and a proverbs two. Yes, if you cry out for discernment and lift up your voice for understanding.
[00:04:02] If you seek her as silver in search for her as for hidden treasures then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. And it's just amazing how much the Bible just speaks on desire and seeking God seeking wisdom.
[00:04:19] I was reading actually the other day Rick renters devotional as it gems, I don't know if it's like in可 gems but it's so good.
[00:04:27] But he was speaking about desire and he was saying just basically about how we need to have a desire for the Lord of God and even just to better ourselves right to self improve to be all that God has for us to seek that wholeheartedly.
[00:04:41] So I got puts it play out here for us to seek him and how we do that is reading his words speaking with him daily having fellowship with him daily. I'm on this road right now.
[00:04:52] I'm just spending time with him. I told him I'm just fasting the things of TV and television and I'm failing a little bit. I'll still go to it occasionally, but he's showing me these things.
[00:05:04] I run to it when I'm anxious. I run to it. So he's showing me what you would call a hiding place sometimes and he's not always my hiding place right when we're anxious we find a coping mechanism.
[00:05:15] So he is so good because he's really showing me the lies, he's showing me things that I didn't even know about myself in these moments and I just love being with him. That's my dad.
[00:05:29] Well, that's so good. And Amber I'm going to bring up two scriptures. First of all, probably some 37 for it says delight yourself therefore in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
[00:05:44] And if you're listening to this right now, I want you to keep that in mind because God wants you to have a desire for him.
[00:05:56] And Amber really says also in James chapter four, it says you have not because you ask not or you ask a miss. But Amber every time I read that fourth chapter of James, I'm reminded that usually when people ask God for things they're thinking about themselves and usually they are walking in the flesh.
[00:06:18] They're not being led by the spirit of God and that's why they ask these crazy things because they're so self-centered and only thinking about themselves. So what are your thoughts on that Amber?
[00:06:31] You know, it's funny is that I think that you don't understand this is for me to all the things that we have in Christ and the things that he's provided.
[00:06:41] I think when you're not aware of what's already given to you, then you're going to cut it these things. I don't know and I'll explain a little more.
[00:06:51] Basically, if I feel right, so maybe even peace, joy, I'm going to look for these things. If I don't realize that I already have them, and that's going to be my soul desire.
[00:07:04] So I just think people are just looking in the wrong place. I don't think it's to condemn them. I do see that a lot of the time that we are kind of self-centered, you know, when we think about ourselves.
[00:07:14] But I just think we're thinking from a place of lack. The father loves me, so I don't have to think about a new car that I need right day and night, because he knows what I need before I need it.
[00:07:24] I don't have to think about, I don't know, the next new toy or car when I know that I don't know the keys you're everything, a keys your provision.
[00:07:34] I will say, I think you have a lot of wisdom on because you're studying the word and you love him. But even there is some wisdom comes with experience as you get older.
[00:07:44] It's just funny. But Andy said this years, I think last year about how he only desires the word of God. He only desires God and things of God.
[00:07:56] I don't even use a lot of going bowling. I don't care about that anymore. I don't think he's like, I mean, I want to do fun things still, right?
[00:08:04] But I realize that even at Cleasy Astes talks about it, it all becomes vanity and sometimes I think it's hard but people have to learn the whole way.
[00:08:12] After they search and they search and they do all these other things that it's just not, it's not fulfilling them and they have to go back to their source.
[00:08:22] So my goal is to learn that now and I think I've already in a sense, God is already showing me that. And Daniel Bennett talks about that all the time about just having fun with God is the most fun you can ever have.
[00:08:34] But yeah, I understand what you're saying a lot of times we are very self-centered. But I don't know, I just think more you have God's heart, you speak with God, you talk with God, you gain his heart, you gain his desires
[00:08:48] And you start seeing things for people, like you want things for people, you want to see people heal. You start not making about yourself as much, you know.
[00:08:58] And also just provision, right? When you start getting into his promises and things, yeah, someone who's hungry is only going to think about themselves because they're hungry, right?
[00:09:06] So once they get food, right? Once they feed themselves, which I think then their mind can start turning to other people. And I don't know if this one's very selfish, but you know. No, that's all real good stuff. And Amber, I'm going to go to John chapter 17 verse 3.
[00:09:24] And this is what Bobby Andy and his referring to. And John 173, he says this, is eternal life that they may know the one true God and Jesus Christ whom he sent.
[00:09:39] Friends that is what God desires from each one of us today. He wants us to seek Him, to seek at a special and intimate relationship with him.
[00:09:53] And Amber, I really believe that until you get to that realization of how much God truly loves you and his immense love that he has for you, can you truly become the person God has called you to be. Would you like to add to that?
[00:10:14] Honestly, I'm still learning and growing in the love of God if I'm being honest. It's funny Andy talks about saying like, Son, the Solomon is not his favorite.
[00:10:24] But I, he's shown me so much up his love through song of Solomon, even as a teenager and a kid, I don't know if this is weird, but I really love, first of all, I love the poetics.
[00:10:33] I always have to kid, I stayed in songs, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and song of song. So I love that and anyway he showed me one day and I broke down. I think I said this one time in I. G.
[00:10:45] Basically, it was, it says, I am ravished by you. And I don't know what about that, but just reading that I knew he was talking to me and I just completely broke down.
[00:10:58] And because it's a romance, right? It's more than just like he's wrapped. Like do you know what, what, what needs to be ravished by someone like enamored by someone?
[00:11:09] It's not just he doesn't have apathy for us, right? Like, I'd use die for us, I have favorites. You know, you're okay. I don't care about you either way.
[00:11:17] But he's in love with me and it's a romance, right? And I say, I talked about him being our husband. You know, and I've even taken that on another world. I've been speaking to have said that that God has been challenging them to say like about him being their husband and like I'm your protector. Ask me for things. I'm their husband.
[00:11:38] And so I've been getting deeper into that. But yeah, to rapidly kind of what you said, wrap it all up, you're right. Once we understand God's love, we really don't want for much else.
[00:11:48] And so I'm diving deeper into that. And I don't know. I think you can keep getting deeper and do. I don't think there's going to be a point where it's just I get it, right? It's just going to take me deeper and deeper glory to go or to understand more about his love. So I'm excited.
[00:12:04] And you can, you hit the nail right on the head. And so many people Amber go to church on Sundays and they say that centers prayer and yet they don't their lives don't change.
[00:12:16] And that's a shame that their lives don't change. You know, you say that centers prayer and you get this fire insurance certificate saying, okay, I'm safe now. I'm going to go to heaven.
[00:12:28] And yet in James chapter one verse 22, it's so clear. It says you have to be doers of the word and not hears only. And Amber, if we don't become doers of the word and implement the things that we're learning and reading and grasping and scripture.
[00:12:50] If we don't grab hold of them and begin to walk in that our lives are not going to change. What, what are your thoughts?
[00:12:58] I completely agree. I'm speaking to me about that. But I like to say is that he's not showing me that to do in the spirit or to do as a Christian is to believe, right?
[00:13:10] I mean, of course there are things always to recommend you to act on things, right? Maybe if there was an ailment like your knee is hurting. You pray over it. You believe but there's a point where you gotta get up and walk, right? So there is action, right?
[00:13:24] Faith that works is dead. However, I concentrate it so much on the works part instead of the faith part and what I believe, right? You believe first in that causes you to act. You know, it's not the other way around.
[00:13:38] So yeah, he is so good. But yeah, being a doer of the word for me is believing. The other day, Copeland was there and something just clicked in me. What all he said was, do not be afraid, believe.
[00:13:51] And I was like, yeah, that's it. And I was struggling with some pain in my body. And I realized there was a fear in me because of the pain, right? Sometimes people just go, oh, it's pain, you know whatever but sometimes it's so debilitating that you kind of get fearful of the fact of thinking of it coming.
[00:14:08] And I just kept speaking to the fear. I'm not going to be afraid, just believe. I'm not going to be afraid. And that was me doing being a doer of the word.
[00:14:18] And honestly, like, I had no pain for those few days of the month and it was just amazing. And I was just, I was like, that's all it took.
[00:14:29] And I just believed that he was faithful and that he would do what he said. He would do, right? Like Abraham said like that, like just believing that he is able, believing that he will do it. Like that's what belief is. That's all I have to do, you know, not believing in my faith. But yeah, you're my God. I believe in you, you know.
[00:14:46] I also like to say is that he's taking me on the journey. I think it's David, right? Where we talk about before he conquered Goliath right here at a bear, he had a lion and Andrew talks about this a lot that we don't even speak to headaches, right? And then we expect if cancer were to come that all of a sudden we have to pull out this huge, you know, believe, you know, huge and everything.
[00:15:09] And I'm standing on this now, I don't want that. I don't, I'm not believing for cancer from you or my family, but I don't want that later for my children, for anyone who are now I have to figure out. All right, now I got to pull out my Bible, right? For stuff like this. I'm starting now for my children. I'm starting now for my family to believe on things like headaches and little pains in my body. I'm practicing being a doer now the bear, the lion and it's building trust. That's really what it is, right?
[00:15:38] This is also just trusting that God will do what he said he will do and if you don't know your God very well, then yeah, I understand you being afraid that he's not going to do what he's going to say because you don't know him, right?
[00:15:48] But I'm giving him these in and this is not to be blessed. I'm giving him these chances, right? In my life to say I'm giving this to you and he's showing up time after time and that's building trust for me, you know, to believe and do and step out even more.
[00:16:04] That's so good, you know, you bring up health and you know Amber I speak the same way that Andrew speaks when it comes to health because I don't believe in getting sick
[00:16:14] And I've never had a cold. I've never had a fever in my life and you can walk in divine health and so many people think that in itself is blasphemy. Everybody thinks that you know the way the world thinks and it's flu season.
[00:16:30] That doesn't mean anything at all for me. I never even think about things like that and yet some people are so overwhelmed and you brought the word fear, but I mean Paul is so clear in second Timothy chapter one, verse seven
[00:16:44] It says, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but he's given us a spirit of power and of love and a sound mind. And Amber if we walk in the love of God that's what I just finished a series on on John's writings and that is the first second and third John. If you read those three short epistles, you're going to find out the love of God and how much he cares for each one of us.
[00:17:13] Amber I did not get a chance to ask about your early childhood, but I know that you come from a faith-based family. Your family is very strong. Your parents are very strong Christians. What was it like growing up with a family that is so strong in the word of God?
[00:17:32] I am more than grateful. I mean, I can't even tell you how blessed it feels like a dream and honestly it's kind of scary because I had nothing to do with it.
[00:17:42] You don't get to pick what family you come into and I was just very blessed by the prayers of my grandparents because my grandparents are also saved. All of my siblings, my aunts and uncles, honestly my whole family, no Christ.
[00:17:58] I don't think I can actually help anyone as their own relationships but they are all aware of Christ and know him and I can't wait because we're all going to be together and heaven.
[00:18:07] But they have really planted a nice foundation for me. So I grew up in the word of faith background. So I grew up with, like, as a kid being laid hands on and you know, signals and disease.
[00:18:18] like, so I grew up in all of that. And then it wasn't until around middle school, I got introduced to Joseph Prince and then I got into the grace and I was like, this is amazing. And it's funny enough my parents said that they,
[00:18:32] it wasn't really too perished to they understood grace but I always felt that they've always administered that to me because as a kid, I really had a trouble with and even still got used to
[00:18:42] talking all the time with a teenager about sin consciousness, all the time you have said scriptures about just about grace, right? And that I love you and that you know your sins are already
[00:18:52] forgiven but I always just so wrapped up in in um in works. And I think a lot of it is just he's so good that you just feel indebted to him sometimes if you release it back and think all the things
[00:19:02] you've done. You're like there's no way and I have nothing to do with it. What if you know and if you don't know guys nature you can even think well what if one day you just wants to stop,
[00:19:10] you know like one of the blessings just stop flowing what if he's just like you know or you're not listening you didn't tell too many people about Christ you know like I just got into this
[00:19:18] thing of it but I wasn't telling enough people about Jesus or anyone about Jesus what was I good for it's really what I and I still struggle with that sometimes I want people to be saved so bad
[00:19:27] that I sometimes I get into those works and it's the the truth of the matters if I stayed in my house and locked my my door and never spoke to another person just love for me would be the same
[00:19:37] but anyway I would say I'm saying that to say my parents have always administered that when I would be crying at home and just it just anxious I didn't tell so and so I missed I messed up they
[00:19:47] always say God loves you so much you know and it's funny I tell my parents that now and my mom's like I don't think I really had an understanding of grace to this extent back then but they
[00:19:57] still administered it and it was just because they knew God's love so it's very funny that when you know God's love it's easier for you to understand his grace you know but yeah overall I
[00:20:08] had a very good childhood because I grew up in that I had I got the I was baptized with a Holy Spirit like 9 or 10 so I will say most of my struggles have been mental that like spiritual
[00:20:21] attacks and things like that health battles I was a really sick kid originally but even being here a lot of things have just fallen off of me that I'm so grateful I mean I used to be lactose and
[00:20:33] tolerant as a kid they said I had good as a kid I had to take medication for that I don't even say I don't think any medications now I was to take allergy medicine I mean just he is so good
[00:20:46] but yeah I'm just grateful for the foundation and the foundation I want to continue on with my own family as I get older as well well that's so good and Amber if you would just explain
[00:20:59] how you heard about Andrew Walming and what brought you to Keras last year first year? Well funny enough my parents did two years over and begin over in New York you had an extension
[00:21:12] school of Keras and they knew for third year they said we're going to Colorado and me and my family or my siblings were like well we'll see you'll be back in a year you know I mean we're all believe
[00:21:21] but we just felt like okay yeah you do your year you'll be back and my mom invited a siblings to us girls to women's or eyes and I was like yeah that's fine so I worked back then in New York
[00:21:34] in TV and so you do project a project like movies so once the movie I was on we'll tell vision shy was on ended I had some time so I said yeah let's go and so after all when's a
[00:21:44] eyes it was nice I still didn't think I was going to come to Keras but Keras last year sit in on you know classes and I had time I didn't have a new show coming up so I said I'll be here
[00:21:53] for a while like Colorado literally I believe it's the first class that I sat in on it was Daniel Bennett and it was like you were speaking about why we were created I think
[00:22:05] he was like a new covenant prayer or something was the name of the class soon as he got done talking I literally I don't know just in me I said I'm coming here like it was just that I just never heard
[00:22:15] it that way it made me excited about heaven I know you should already be excited but I just had I just didn't understand it and when you think about eternity it can be overwhelming but when he was
[00:22:25] speaking about like I mean I know we had to say yay we have responsibility and heaven but we're going to be creative we get to be with each other and have everyone we see at Keras we're going to
[00:22:34] see forever I mean you know if you really think about the other people in the street we pray that we do but everyone we're sitting next to whether you know we get along with them or not like we're going
[00:22:43] to be with them for eternity and I don't know I just found that exciting in the way he explained it to one of my favorite teachers I just was like yeah some coming and really that's honestly all
[00:22:53] it took he just sparked a desire in me and I'll be honest sometimes I feel bad because a lot of people have these really these stories of getting to Keras that you know took a lot of strength
[00:23:04] and courage honestly I just it was everything just lined up my parents already lived here so I had a place to sit stay my job is very much more freelance so I could go back to work
[00:23:15] like months later after the first year was done which was my plan it didn't work out because I'm still here but I figured oh once the first year is over I was going to my words were literally unlearned
[00:23:24] some things right because I knew that I understood grace somewhat but I was still going through the same things so I said I'm here to unlearn some things and then I'm going to go back to New York not a
[00:23:34] big deal and that didn't work out I stayed here for a second year and I'm so grateful for it but yeah I mean that's why I'm here but I'm so grateful for God just putting a desire in me you
[00:23:46] know it wasn't something that was strung you as or at the fight with but he just put it in me of like I want to know my father's word well that's so good Amber I've got a question for you
[00:23:56] and Romans chapter eight verse six Paul asked this it says it says to be currently minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Amber in your own words what I'd like you
[00:24:11] to do is share with the audience what that means to be led by the spirit and to walk in the spirit I'm actually still learning that I think one way is that I've learned of Daniel been actually
[00:24:29] spoken this about I compartmentalize my flesh to my spirit the spirit man is my real self is the real me and that's actually helped me with understanding healing as well so for me even
[00:24:45] with pain and things like that pastor Rick also talks about that about fact versus true the fact is I might be in pain but the truth of the matter is is that I am healed and I see this
[00:24:56] a time and I don't know what takes it wrong but I can't be any more healed than I am right now in this moment like I can't do anything else to get any more healing because my spirit man is free
[00:25:08] his whole is complete and if you think about it in the way of also just with joy piece all these things that I have already and is understanding like that is the real you so when you mess up when
[00:25:18] things happen when guilt comes relate I relate to the spirit man and that's what I think about being led by the spirit is like I'm always relating back to my true self and I don't let
[00:25:32] my flesh you know one time guys spoke to me once he one day about not wanting to read my bite like in the middle reading my Bible I felt like I don't really want to be reading my Bible
[00:25:43] but I don't know if you've ever had this duality of feeling where you I desire to read my Bible but there was also a part of me which was my flesh that was just like you want to go eat or
[00:25:52] like let's just do something else like I'm bored but there was still a desire of wanting to read it was like these duality of feelings in me and I was feeling guilty and I'm like I'm so sorry
[00:26:01] like I love you I really do want to reach a word I just have this and I don't know if this is nicely from him but it really the thought came up which is like why are you upset for the flesh
[00:26:10] doing what the flesh does and I was like oh like this is what the flesh does it has fits it gets upset with you it gets angered it gets jealous and once I start stop feeling guilty for things
[00:26:21] the flesh does you know I I feel so much freer and so sometimes I feel upset I get angry you know or maybe even a jealous feeling and because we're Christians in where aware of what we
[00:26:33] should be feeling you can now have a second feeling on top of that of now guilt I know I'm better than this I shouldn't be feeling this God I know I shouldn't be angry with my with this person
[00:26:42] but instead of feeling guilty and now exasperating these feelings altogether right and letting subconsciousness and guilt and condemnation come in I literally know I'm like that's not really how I feel that's I mean you know and I literally sometimes talk to my flesh you're having a fit
[00:26:57] you can continue having a fit but I know and then I'll maybe speak scripture to it right I am the right justness of God and Christ Jesus already know that you know you know stuff even
[00:27:06] think good things about that person God loves them so much you know and even I'm like empathizing with the person it could have been a rough day for them I don't know you know I just I think we
[00:27:15] don't really implement talking to ourselves enough and so I do that all the time you know you're speaking the word to yourself and you're talking to your soul now you're you're spurt's perfect
[00:27:25] but you're talking to your soul and getting it in line and knowing yeah you're the flesh is having a fit right now good for like let it do it it's it's a doing I'm going to speak the word over it
[00:27:33] and it comes down you know and it alleviates that condemnation in that guilt so yeah that's my main thing I let the like the flesh is gonna do with the flesh does and I have control you know
[00:27:43] I'm not gonna let it do whatever it wants you know but when I I let it feel but I know that this is not appropriate you know and this is not the true me you know so relax I literally taught
[00:27:54] myself that way Amber you're you know you have hit on so many really really good keys and I know that the audience is really relating to everything you're talking about I'm going to go to scripture
[00:28:08] and I'm not gonna quote scripture I'm just going to make reference to Romans chapter seven Romans chapter seven Paul is saying the things that I want to do I don't do and the things that
[00:28:22] I don't want to do I find myself doing now we have to remember that Paul didn't start out as Paul Paul had started out as Saul of Tarsus and he would persecute Christians he saw to
[00:28:38] it the Christians were killed for their faith in what they called the way that's what they called people before they became Christians it's the way because they were followers of Jesus
[00:28:52] but Amber we all fall short Paul is so clear once again and that letter to the Romans we all fall short but it says in Proverbs it says a good man falls down seven times but he gets right
[00:29:08] back up and gets back into the fray when we fall Amber and we will friends we're all going to fall we're all gonna do things we don't want to do we're a lot of times we're embarrassed by some
[00:29:22] of the things we do but you know God loves you regardless of what you do and you made reference to that earlier Amber but what I'd really like to do is talk a little bit more about Karras
[00:29:35] now first year primarily is foundational stuff and you're basically hearing the word for 20 hours a week and first year Karras they also require you to read the entire Bible in the first year
[00:29:51] but second year is more application so Amber if you would discuss a little bit about second year in what we call IAGs interactive groups you were in my first group that's where we met and
[00:30:05] you know I watched the growth in you from the first beginning of school in September by the time we were there 12 or 14 weeks you had grown immensely but I'd like for you to share in your own words
[00:30:19] how powerful that was for you yeah I actually really enjoy IAGs because it's giving us a chance like you said to apply what we have learned and honestly it's giving me a chance to stretch my faith even now
[00:30:31] you thank you so much for having me because the first I was very nervous like I can't have nothing to really say and that's also a life in the enemy that we have nothing to contribute to the kingdom of God
[00:30:42] but one thing that I will say and I thank you for that and watching you is always amazing because I know you're a teacher already but I mean the wisdom that you have is amazing I just love hearing
[00:30:54] but I will say one thing that I've been doing lately is letting go and going back to do not be afraid believe and even now I won just talk to God and I say I'm giving this to you completely
[00:31:07] and it's in what IAGs also let us allow us to have is that we get comfortable and I know that's not the problem we get comfortable with the people in our group and it helps right because I don't
[00:31:17] feel as judged you guys are we're just such an encouragement you guys encouraged us and even gave advice and helpful critiques as well to help us and so because I felt safe in that
[00:31:30] environment I was able to beforehand decide okay you're not allowed to be afraid and I would try the purpose so now I actually prepare things a lot better I think in the beginning when you first go
[00:31:40] you kind of forget you know like oh yeah I EG today but I realized I want to get better and better that what I do and about speaking about God so I realized okay I could just go in and say God
[00:31:51] you handle this but I can also be diligent right so I can also make sure I'm studying and I can also make sure that I have something planned out I can also make sure you know even critiques take
[00:32:01] what you guys they maybe speak louder and then see that's what it's allowing us to do is like we're in a nice controlled environment where I'm able to look at you know my weaknesses but also my strengths
[00:32:14] and even look at you guys and see things from your perspective and take from you guys John we had John in our class and he was so the John fan and we also had Laurie and Laurie is
[00:32:27] very very strong as well so you know you were kind of fortunate because you had three very very good examples for you. Yes we're very good and then even Raphael amazing man like
[00:32:41] him speaking I mean everyone it was just crazy when I like everybody was awesome in that class so I learned from you guys but I remember saying to him when he got off I was like well
[00:32:50] of course you're good like you're a pastor and it's almost like you I could say of course you're a teacher right and he was like no it's because I have the word in me and I was like oh and I wasn't
[00:33:00] offended but at first to me what I was really trying to say was that as a pastor as a teacher you guys there's one thing about knowing the word but it's also how you present yourself so you're
[00:33:09] able to speak a little more freely you would none see a so I was mostly speaking on how you like the public speaking as a whole that you guys are good at public speaking right because you
[00:33:20] can know the word but not very good because you're not used to being behind a pulpit or behind you know a stage so you guys had that going for you but what he said actually spoke to me
[00:33:29] because it's true it comes and falls out of you guys because you know the words so well and it's like I mean honestly I'd buy you I read the Bible but I don't I don't look at the chapter
[00:33:41] of the verse like you're sitting there like oh it's it's they're okay I don't know how you keep that in your mind I ask always written here today I was like if that's important Lord just help me
[00:33:49] keep that in because that's true like you want people to know where they can find that scripture and not say somewhere in John God said so that's actually very important but I just read and
[00:33:58] go oh that's so good now write it down but I don't know where else we're to find it so I admire that about you but you guys study and you know your word and that's why it flows from you and so God was
[00:34:08] showing me stuff like that I'm just studying to show yourself approved right and but yeah even now like I I like to visualize Jesus like he's right here like I see him next to me right now and I
[00:34:19] literally say my mouth is yours and I'm just going to relax and you speak through me and I hope I can do that on a bigger stage but I'm kind of like the bear the light I'm trying to practice
[00:34:28] that and make that very intentional right now and I agee's and even in this podcast of trusting him to speak through me and not being afraid that's my main thing it's like not being nervous
[00:34:41] because then that's on me right then I'm making I have to say the right things and I have to do you know I have a struggle with perfectionism sometimes so I'm learning that right in our
[00:34:49] weakness he is strong and learning like I don't have to be perfect and so he's just flowing through me you know with that but yeah I Jesus awesome I really appreciate you I miss you guys so much
[00:35:01] I love my new class as well but we had such an amazing group that it was just a blessing Wow we really did an amber you know part of ij's is preparing you for second year mission trip
[00:35:14] that is a requirement to graduate from keros second year so i'm a few would discuss your mission trip where did you go and what did you get out of that? We went to police and yeah like shout out
[00:35:27] some of the police trip you know about those mission members they were so awesome I learned so much from them you know it's my enough the trip itself was amazing and I had so much fun guide didn't
[00:35:39] be such a piece I I wasn't gonna not do second year just for mission trip but I never want to do missions in my life like a mission trip I remember being I went to college in West Palm Beach
[00:35:50] and it was a Christian college I remember talking to people and I was like that's not my calling I remember telling adamantly like I do not want to go anywhere mission does not my thing
[00:35:59] and for something like God put a desire I got so excited as it got closer and he put it such a piece in my heart that I was excited and I had so much fun there was healing after healing
[00:36:11] and just like so many people saved and honestly I most of the ones I prayed for were a lot of just feeling with the Holy Spirit about autism and I'm still honestly unpacking everything that
[00:36:22] happened there right because I was really nervous about street evangelism and I didn't really to much of that God didn't have me it was weird everyone else did but when we were street evangelizing
[00:36:33] they had me singing the whole time and like so many I'm just trying to still unpack everything where God wanted me learn but to be honest my biggest takeaway was just the body of Christ
[00:36:44] that was around me they were every single one of them are so amazing and I really do they believe they care about me and we still all like text and stuff in our WhatsApp and we still actually have
[00:36:59] relationships like we still talk to one of the guys back there both of them passed her Craig and Timmy and they'll send us devotionals every week and things like that we send money like
[00:37:08] it's awesome so God is amazing I I had a weight like way too much fun and honestly it was a beautiful island but yeah I it was one more thing I wanted to mention just with community
[00:37:22] honestly when we were down there there's so many care students that we actually had a special night where we just did just exchange testimonies and it was I mean it had to be at least 45
[00:37:34] 50 of us from and just talking about what God has done and it was amazing like look what the Lord has done and sometimes we think kind of like um was it just going in a Elijah where it's like I'm the
[00:37:47] only one I mean only one facing this guy and he's like I have a bunch of profits like hit it and I think it gives me that with that a lot where it's like you're the only person out here and it's
[00:37:57] no he has so many people he's raised up and one of my favorite scriptures like the Saints in the land or the wonderful ones for whom is all my delight I love that since even I was a kid that scripture
[00:38:07] because that is my delight of the Saints you and your wife and all of our like care students like though that gives me excited you know um you guys just the community that we have with care
[00:38:19] is beyond measure I'm just so grateful. Well that's so good you know and it plays the astees of course Solomon is the writer of Psalms but he's also the writer but plays the astees
[00:38:30] and some of you listening if you're going through anything right now and you're having issues and a lot of times we tend to get this self absorption which I talked about earlier and basically
[00:38:42] you think no one understands what I'm going through but Solomon understood stood that and in it plays the astees he says I always like this verse he says there's nothing new under the sun
[00:38:55] everything in life and her goes around and it revolves and it's like a circle and it just keeps coming back and coming back and coming back and coming back and whatever it is you may be facing
[00:39:08] right now you are not the only one and when Satan comes in and tells you that and you sound to have this self pity and we get in this self pity mode friends just get out of that self pity mode
[00:39:23] talk to somebody and of course in Proverbs 27 17 is Iron Sharpen's Iron so a man sharpens the countenance of his friends friends this is why you need to be in the family of God
[00:39:39] and this is why you need to surround yourself with like-minded individuals people who can lift you up pray for you boost you up and make things okay when you're going through trials and trials and
[00:39:55] temptations I mean in in in some 23 David says that even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil friends we all live in valleys from time to time it's not our time
[00:40:09] it seems like nothing in life is going our way but God is there right with you every step of the way Amber your thoughts on that everything you said is amen yeah God is like us every single step of the way
[00:40:25] he's just I have nothing really acted that that was amazing yeah God is so good I that's on the goodness of God right follows us and that's what he's showing me and it is without
[00:40:37] repentance the goodness of God Amber if you would which particular scripture verse are you thinking about the last couple weeks what is God speaking to you and talk to the audience about
[00:40:52] the importance of hearing God speaking to you yes that's super important and that's why I'm on this journey right now so what God is speaking to me right now is that I am on a journey of just I just want
[00:41:05] to know him everything else is gone so I'll be pretty candid last year I was going through a lot so sometimes it carries we know that it's not works right but we see you know we're also taught to
[00:41:18] step out and fade and you see a lot of people praying for each other and laying hands on each other and I was just getting very much overwhelmed and always feeling like I have to do something
[00:41:27] there's something I have to do something and he just basically spoke to me about just saying I won't say verbatim what he spoke to me but he just basically said like you you need to want me
[00:41:37] first before even the gifts right we should desire the gifts but he was literally said actually words were you want you want your the gifts more than you want me and I was like oh wow
[00:41:49] and so some that might sound very harsh but it freed me because I realized what his priority was right like what he really wanted was relationship and we get told this all the time
[00:42:00] but I'm like yeah it's true but but that's really what he wants from us is relationship so I can't know God's voice unless I know him right and I can get thrown with the ways I think
[00:42:13] Andrew spoke about this about like when you when you're a sacrifice right a living sacrifice to God the issues come in later with that if you don't know the word of God
[00:42:24] then you're kind of thrown kind of like they says in James which is what God's been showing me is like a wave right to and throw by the wind because like you don't know like say and actually speaks too right
[00:42:35] and then your own flesh speaks and so I mean as a teenager I can't even tell there's just way too many stories of me just always looking for God in the wind and signs I was really into
[00:42:45] signs growing up because I was like I need to hear your voice so I always would just think okay if I hear a silent you know and like Satan would just have a field day with me I mean the craziness
[00:42:54] and the anxiety and the torment that like I just was even bad at making decision it's like very indecisive because I always felt like I was gonna change my plans like I could have made decisions
[00:43:03] on my own I was always looking for his voice so I've just decided now in this time where I'm a lot better but still I need to know my dad's voice I need to know my father's voice and
[00:43:13] the only way to know that has just been time with him and to know his nature as well so that's kind of what I'm in right now it's just I don't really care about anything else even you know
[00:43:24] because I can get caught up in works and who did I speak today about Christ and evangelize and did I pray over and am I reading enough and I'm realizing like I'm cutting all of that out
[00:43:33] in my main goal this season is just I want to know you so well that when you speak I can hear you you know and then just the other thing he's been speaking to me about in this as I'm just listening
[00:43:44] to him is we spoke about James 1 and it's just about I realize that I am a double minded person literally like I my goal is I want to be decisive I want to be focused and I realize that I literally
[00:43:59] was like the wind that obviously isn't like the way where the wind just throws with circumstance and with with emotions and I'm that's ending now like that's not acceptable and that's not who I
[00:44:10] want to be you know so he's been speaking to me about that just overall intention right I think you think like a lot of times we think what is what the world tells us is okay right or even
[00:44:22] Christians say like yeah you have a right to feel this way you have a right to do this it's human I don't really care about being average or human or that it's okay to do or it's not quite a
[00:44:32] sin I just care about the end goal of like what do I want to be at the end of this right I want to be as mature as possible I want to be able to hear my father's voice I like a visit it talks
[00:44:41] about going on walks and guys like go left go right like can you I mean you might already have that I don't have that where I know for sure that if he says go left go right up down there
[00:44:50] that I could hear that you know and that that's what I want I want to be a mature woman of God I want to be that for my children that they grow up in that you know in that atmosphere where
[00:45:02] they see the gifts of God you know manifesting that it's not a question of like I think God's real you know it's like no I've seen him heal you know he's healed my sister before my you know my
[00:45:12] kids talking he's healed my sister he's done this in my parents life my parents healed these people all the time you know um I'm just thinking future right and essentially like my who I want to be you know
[00:45:22] well that's so good and I'm gonna go to the book of Hebrews the great Hebrew chapter is chapter 11 and Hebrews and you know I gotta make reference to verse 6 because verse 6 is such a powerful verse
[00:45:35] and it's and it's really deep but it says without faith it is impossible to please him but that's not the end of the verse it's the second part of that verse that really is impactful it says for those
[00:45:48] who believe must believe that God exists that's one thing now that's not the issue and word that's not the issue it's a second one and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently
[00:46:01] seek him and another scripture verse that is always brought up is Jeremiah 29 11 and it says I know the plans I have for you a hope for a future but if you read verses 12 and 13 it talks about
[00:46:20] diligently seeking God and many people overlook that in Jeremiah but once again you have two scriptural references talking about the importance of diligently seeking him you've made mention of this a couple times I just want to know him and for those of you in the audience
[00:46:44] listening if you have never taken this step to receive Jesus and Amber's gonna be sending you an invitation just a little while but I want you to understand the importance of getting to know him
[00:46:57] but Amber the key is diligently seeking him in other words it's not gonna happen automatically you have to go after it and if you really want to be a powerful Christian really making the difference
[00:47:13] that God wants you to make in this world you have to be willing to jump off the high dive take all issues away just throw everything throw caution to the wind and just go for it with all your might
[00:47:29] Amber what I'd like for you to do is just speak to anyone right now who's on the fence they've never made that decision for Jesus Christ I would like for you to be a spokesman for
[00:47:41] Jesus right now you are going to do an advertisement for TV tell them why they should receive Jesus today well are you tired are you anxious are you depressed try Jesus so honestly I think even
[00:48:01] Christians have this completely wrong that we just think were meant to just cope with things or I think too many Christians were depressed and they just feel like God is just helping me get through
[00:48:11] day by day where this is something that I just have to deal with or that I'm the anxious but like that's just me and it's you know something in my brain like it just happens God is a deliverer
[00:48:21] like he had to speak to me about that before I went like about what deliverance means like you shouldn't even have to deal with these thoughts whether it's like homosexuality whether it's I mean
[00:48:31] it's not something you need to cope with day by day and struggle with he wants this completely gone and this is something that he is able to do he wants to do just come to him he is such a loving God
[00:48:44] he loves you so much and I'm learning even more about his goodness and if you're worried about oh like the change and things like that he changes you from the inside out he oh my God she is so good
[00:48:56] the things that you used to want you don't even really want anymore it's not when people say like oh drinking things like that it's just so funny it's not forceful it's literally like I just don't
[00:49:05] want it like that's what Grace does I just don't care for it I don't want to do the things I used to do and there's still amazing adventures and fun that we still have with God this isn't the
[00:49:15] end it's the beginning he is so good so I would just say you are struggling with anything or even if your life is okay you know like I'm good but it could be better I don't know you don't get this like
[00:49:27] he's the god of the whole entire universe and you get to call him your father he I was think of him like like the scale tipper tell I think of him like yeah there are people who have nice things in
[00:49:37] life and there are things with like the unfairness in life like he tips the scale he has favor abundantly his love is abundant I mean just to think that you don't have to walk in fear even events like
[00:49:48] it feels it doesn't feel good to be offended or angry but he even can deal with that so I would just say like if you're just tired if you're tired of being tired come to him and it's not a big or
[00:50:02] deal it's so easy as a scripture I feel he's in due to autonomy but he basically just says like choose life like and he's saying it's not something that you're smart reaching as the heavens right like
[00:50:12] he literally goes into speaking like this is not something so far reaching that you have to run to me like that you have to I don't know like you don't have to climb you know swim seas to find
[00:50:22] me you know you don't have to study 20 years to show yourself approved to be like oh man now God loves me like it's so simple as saying yes God I want you that's it like you made the most simple thing
[00:50:33] you could ever do because he loves you so much so I just want you guys to know that you are not alone and that's also another thing kind of bill already said about what God he's with Satan
[00:50:45] does in our minds is that he tells us you're the only one going through this no matter how crazy how I don't even just honestly when it's because it also even feel like disgusting we feel like this
[00:50:54] I'm not really lovable these thoughts are coming to my head these I doesn't matter he loves you and just just give those things to him he wants you I guess all I can just say that he wants you
[00:51:09] so I just want to pray with you guys right now that if you do not know Christ you can you can follow these words that I'm going to say you're going to say Father God I just thank you for sending
[00:51:20] Jesus it's a beautiful appreciation for my sin which you guys that just means like that he just became sin for us as I want you ask you into my heart and into my life right now in the name of Jesus
[00:51:36] and I thank you that you are now my Lord and my Savior and really that's it and you people say in your own words Jesus I need you and I and I want you in my heart and I accept you as my Savior
[00:51:48] and even just if you want to even pray for the Holy Spirit right now and what the Holy Spirit does he empower the believer when you're baptized in the Holy Spirit guys it's a whole new level
[00:51:58] understanding the Scripture of just having insight and even just the gifts we up on the gifts of the Spirit guys of just what size is even speaking in tongues and edifying your own spirit I do that now
[00:52:10] when I'm anxious or nervous or even in confusion I speak in the Spirit in tongues but also just laying hands on the sick and they shower cover yourself on your children on people in the street
[00:52:23] word of knowledge just helping people that God has it for you so if you just want the Holy Spirit is as easy as just saying thank you Holy Spirit I want you and I invite you into my heart
[00:52:34] and that's honestly that's how easy this the prayer salvation is and I just want to just pray now over everyone here Lord Jesus thank you Father for everyone who's listening I thank you for
[00:52:44] peace and all our pastors all understanding over them I thank you Father God for a new desire in them to get to know you personally and to get to know who you are the real you were I thank you
[00:52:57] Father God that goodness just follows them all the days of their life I thank you favors around them as with the shield today I ask you that you speak to them today Lord and that you just tell
[00:53:06] them how much you love them today and it is thank you for your grace and your mercy your love and this is just a prayer thankfulness of that you are good and we thank you for it now in Jesus
[00:53:16] and you. Amber I just want to applaud you for the growth that you are making and I'm going to speak this over you the God as well please with you and the way you're growing and you're
[00:53:29] headed in an upward trajectory and God is going to do mighty words for you I just just speak that over you you are such a blessing friends if there's anyone that repeated that prayer today I ask
[00:53:41] you reach out to me on my Facebook page bill Kelly K L L E Y and if you have any specific questions about anything at all that you heard on the days podcast reach out to me on messenger I'll be happy to
[00:53:54] get back with you as soon as I can I'm going to close with a blessing now I'm at a Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make us face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his
[00:54:07] countenance upon you and give you peace friends before we close today I'm going to give you a homework assignment we mentioned James chapter one on a number of occasions today and if you would really
[00:54:22] read that book at that chapter James chapter one and before you read ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you and to reveal what you are reading and friends that's how we became begin to make associations
[00:54:39] and develop revelation from the Word of God. Friends please join me again tomorrow as my further Expo. Wisdom. today